British photographer Frank Lebon’s first publication, One Blood, is an affectionate, vivid portrait of friends and family that takes blood as subject and metaphor

April 25, 2024

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Producing project photography is one the largest line items in a design firm’s budget. If you’re going to invest that much, you want to produce the best work. That means picking the best team of creatives to bring the project to life in photos, having a well-planned run-of-show on shoot day, and so much more.

Make the most of your project photography shoots with Photo Finish: How to Nail Your Project Photography, a one-hour virtual workshop on May 23 at 1:00 pm ET. Join AD Global Visuals Director Michael Shome will sit down with industry-leading photographer Douglas Friedman and AD go-to interior stylist Dorcia Kelley to share the ins and outs of working with interior stylists and photographers, how to get your photography contracts in tip-top shape, the logistics of shoot day, and more. This event is open exclusively to AD PRO members.

AD Global Visuals Director Michael Shome

Photo: Gabrielle Langdon

Photographer Douglas Friedman

Interior stylist Dorcia Kelley

Photography courtesy Dorcia Kelley

The Archy Modular Camera Backpack V2 by taz + tez combines style, discrete photography and function into a perfect backpack for event and portrait photographers. It’s a bag you can just as easily take to a wedding as a corporate event. But there’s no compromising on features. It is packed with thoughtful functions that will make your photographer heart smile.

The Archy backpack by taz + tez is the middle child of their collection of stylish bags for photographers. It’s smaller sibling is the Bobbi Modular Shoulder Camera Bag, and the top of the range is the aptly named Tildy Carryall Camera Backpack. Both Bobbi and Archy come in tan or black, and Tildy comes in black. In this Archy Modular Camera Backpack V2 review I tried out the tan version; the black has the same features. Let’s get into it!

Note: I received the Archy Modular Camera Backpack V2 in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Pros

• Stylish camera bag that will blend in at formal events and disguise your camera gear
• Removeable grab handle on top of pack
• Converts from backpack to shoulder bag instantly for fast access to gear
• Unique convertible backpack strap is designed with fixed middle section, so you can wear backpack on one shoulder, and easily convert from shoulder bag to backpack without fuss or difficulty getting the backpack straps evenly balanced
• Zippered main compartment with magnet closure flap for quick access to camera gear
• Includes removable padded camera caddy with customizable dividers and Velcro-closure lid
• Multiple pockets inside and out for kit essentials including generous elasticated water bottle pockets on both sides
• Comes in two cruelty-free, high quality, PETA-approved Vegan Leather colors: Tan and black
• Each purchase contributes to the brand’s sponsorship of endangered Australian animals

Cons

• Front pockets on the outside of the bag are open-top, so things may fall out if you tip the bag upside-down

Archy Modular Camera Backpack V2 – Technical specifications

All technical specifications for the Archy Modular Camera Backpack V2 are from the taz + tez website.

Bag construction and materials

• Dimensions: 28L 31H 17W (cm)
• Crafted from PETA approved Premium Vegan Leather
• Features customised hardware
• Wipeable, polyester lining in a light colour for visibility

Exterior features

• 2x front slip pockets
• 2x side pockets for bottles and accessories
• Deep zippered back pocket
• Small d-ring for attaching accessories
• Adjustable backpack straps that quickly and easily convert to a padded shoulder strap
• Wide flat bottom (stands on its own)
• Magnetic closure flap
• Full length zip to open the bag up wide
• Wide opening for easy access

Interior Features

• Zippered back pocket
• Large slip pocket for tablets/small laptops (13”)
• Mesh zippered pocket
• 4x elastic pockets
• Light coloured lining for visibility

Camera Caddy (removable, included with backpack)

• Dimensions: 24L 16H 9W (cm)
• Padded for gear protection
• Comes with 3x dividers so you can configure it for you
• Fits a DSLR or mirrorless body with 1-2 lenses
• Has lid so that it can be stacked inside the bag
• 2x Velcro tab closures
• Fits perfectly in bag

Archy Modular Camera Backpack V2 – Ergonomics and build quality

The Archy Modular Camera Backpack V2 is a premium quality bag that delivers on style. What I love most about this bag is the functionality built in with careful consideration for what photographers in the field need. The bag is constructed with quality vegan leather and both looks and feels durable. The main opening zip is smooth and glides open easily, with an extra extension to provide a wide opening for easy access to gear. There is a magnet which secures the end of the zip for neatness.

The inside is wipeable and light-colored for visibility. Inside there are elasticated pockets, and zippered pockets for your gear, including a mesh pocket for visibility. One of the internal pockets is insulated, too.

One of the features I love is the included camera caddy. This is a padded box which fits perfectly into the pack, allowing you to pack your camera gear in and then insert into the bag. It has three removeable dividers so you can configure the padding where you need it. You can slip the caddy into the bottom of the bag, or on top of other essentials like a cardigan or snacks.

On the outside of the bag there are elasticated water bottle pockets which easily fit my 700mL or 24 oz. water bottle. There are two slip pockets on the front for small items like a lens cap or lip balm. On the back is a secret zippered pocket for valuables like your phone, keys or passport. There’s a D ring on the side for keys, or the taz + tez Lens Keeper (Sold separately; Keep an eye out for my separate review of this handy piece of kit).

Archy Modular Camera Backpack V2 – In the field

It’s hard to find a camera bag that looks at home on a shoot and at an elegant event, but Archy delivers. The flexibility of being able to use the same bag throughout your day makes this the perfect choice for photographers where style matters. It also disguises your gear: No obvious “expensive camera in here!” bells and whistles!

The bells and whistles are there, though, just hiding. The bag is very easy to use with a bunch of features giving you fast access to the gear you need, when you need it. In particular, I love the convertible backpack-to-shoulder-bag strap. Taz & tez have done this in an unique way.

At first when you see the bag, it looks like there is a second padded grab handle on top. This is actually the fast-converting strap: Grab the padded handle and pull, and the straps instantly feed through for shoulder carry. This is perfect for opening the bag to pull out your camera or switch lenses. Your bag is at hip height, hands-free, so you can do what you need to do.

What’s unique is the conversion back to backpack carry. I’ve got bags that use this same method of converting to a shoulder bag, and the problem is always fiddling around to try and get the backpack straps even. Taz & tez have eliminated this problem with the padded portion of the strap. This halts the strap in the middle so you always have even straps on both sides. You can chuck the bag onto your back instantly, knowing your straps will be at the right length on both sides.

Ease of access to your gear

There are a couple of features that make it easy to access your gear in this bag. The shoulder carry conversion I’ve already described is one. I love the hands-free access that makes it easy to change lenses without putting the bag down on the ground, or somehow hanging it off my arm while I juggle expensive lenses and a camera with its guts exposed.

Inside the bag, we have the wide-opening zip: This extends beyond the opening of the bag to make it easy to open the bag fully up. Over the top of this is the magnet-closing flap. You can leave the bag unzipped if you need to get in and out a lot, and the flap keeps everything tucked safely closed.

The camera caddy fits in snugly while still allowing room for the inner pockets to be accessed and used. As mentioned the interior is light-colored making it easy to see what’s in there. The mesh pocket is useful for things you need even more visibility on. The secret pocket at the back gives you quick access to valuables without compromising safety.

I love that the pack has bottle pouches on the outside: I don’t like the idea of putting my water bottle in the bag with my camera gear, and because there’s two pouches you can carry a bottle in one side and snacks on the other, keeping everything damp and crumby away from your expensive kit.

Archy Modular Camera Backpack V2 – What gear can it hold?

The Archy Modular Camera Backpack V2 is a compact backpack that will carry a lightweight events kit, family photography essentials, and travel photography kit with ease. I love keeping my kit lightweight and this bag is exactly what I need for that purpose. It’s why I have invested in switching to mirrorless this year, because I can no longer tolerate the wrist, elbow and back issues that come with lugging two full size DSLRs around for full day events.

This isn’t a huge, carry-everything backpack (you want the Tildy Carryall Camera Backpack for that). It’s designed for a small, efficient kit such as a mirrorless body and two lenses, or a body and lens and speedlite flash. There’s plenty of room for small accessories and essentials, such as batteries, spare memory cards, remote control, and personal items like phone, keys, wallet, lib balm, and so on.

For those like me who are keen to do more with less gear, then the Archy backpack will find a happy home with you. Let’s take a closer look at exactly what you can fit comfortably into the Archy backpack. In all the following I’ve shown what fits in with caddy open or closed. I haven’t included in my example photos all the batteries, memory cards and other accessories that you can fit in the other pockets of the bag.

Using Archy Modular Camera Backpack V2 with a mirrorless camera kit

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This is the mirrorless kit I use for family photography sessions, and it fits with ease into the Archy backpack: Canon EOS R8 Mirrorless Camera with Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens mounted, and Canon RF 28mm f/2.8 STM Lens carried alongside. I also use my older Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Lens with the Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R.

With the 50mm mounted and the other lenses stashed, this kit fits with the camera caddy closed. You can fit a light cardigan or other gear in on top of the closed caddy.

I can also fit the Canon EOS R8 Mirrorless with the EF 85mm and adaptor, and my go-to workhorse lens, the Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 Lens for Canon EF. Both these lenses fit with the camera caddy open.

Using Archy Modular Camera Backpack V2 with a DSLR camera kit

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My DSLR kit is based around my Canon EOS 5D Mark III DSLR Camera which is an equivalent size to the Canon 5D Mark IV and other ungripped pro-size bodies.

I am usually shooting on this camera with my 24-70mm lens, and my 85mm lens carried alongside, so that’s what I tried out in the Archy for this DSLR pack. You could easily fit a smaller lens such as the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens in as your second lens. This setup fits in with the caddy open and is similar to the flash and camera setup shown below, or the camera and tripod setup.

To carry my DSLR with the camera caddy closed, I can do that with just a single lens mounted, in this case my 24-70mm lens, as shown above.

Using Archy Modular Camera Backpack V2 with flash and camera

With my mirrorless kit, I can fit the camera body with lens mounted, plus an off-camera flash and the 28mm lens carried alongside. The trigger (I use Godox XProC TTL Wireless Flash Trigger for Canon Cameras) pops into one of the accessory pockets inside the bag for off-camera use of the flash.

I can also carry a flash with my DSLR: on the 5D Mark III with 24-70mm mounted, the flash fits in beside nicely. The Godox V1 Flash for Canon is a large flash, equivalent to the Canon Speedlite EL-1 in size and weight, to give you a size comparison. Because the flash is tall the camera caddy is open for both DSLR or mirrorless.

Will Archy Modular Camera Backpack V2 fit a tripod?

I use a compact Neewer M521 Desktop Mini Tripod with Arca-Type Ball Head for taking selfies (which is a great little tripod, by the way, that pairs beautifully with the Peak Design ecosystem), and this fits into the Archy alongside my Canon EOS R8 with 50mm lens mounted. I have room for my 28mm lens too. This setup fits with the caddy closed.

The tripod also fits with DSLR (caddy open) and mounted 24-70mm lens. I can fit a small second lens in alongside, like a pancake 24mm lens.

I usually like to use a camera wrap on the tripod just to be sure of no clanging and banging, but the Archy camera caddy really keeps things quite secure and separate. You won’t be getting a full-size tripod in here, but the Archy will easily accommodate a mini or tabletop tripod with no problems. You can also carry it in the side pocket.

Will Archy Modular Camera Backpack V2 fit a 70-200mm lens?

My 70-200mm lens is a Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 Lens for Canon EF and with the camera caddy open you can get this lens alongside a DSLR with mounted 24-70mm, or alongside a mirrorless with lens mounted.

I tried this with Canon EOS R8 with the 50mm lens mounted. It also fits well with the pancake 28mm lens. The 70-200mm lens has the RF to EF adaptor on here, which increases it’s length by about 1.5 inches. Even with this, it’s fitting into the Archy with no problem.

On my 5D Mark III, I can fit it with the 24-70mm lens mounted. You can see how I have the 5D Mark III lens-down into the caddy: There’s enough padding to keep everything safe and sound. So, yes, you can carry a 70-200mm lens in your Archy backpack, and you can bring a second lens with you, too.

Will Archy Modular Camera Backpack V2 fit a gripped pro camera body?

Now, I never (ever) shoot with my 5D Mark III gripped, because my arms will make me pay for it later. But, the evidence is in the photo. This is my Canon 5D Mark III EOS DSLR with its battery grip attached in the Archy backpack.

It can be done, and you can fit a gripped pro camera body into the Archy Modular Camera Backpack V2. It’s maybe not ideal – the pack bulges a little – but it zips up securely and the magnet flap shuts. If you are rocking anything like a Canon EOS-1D X Mark III DSLR Camera then the Archy can still work for you.

Can I carry a laptop with the Archy Modular Camera Backpack V2?

It will not fit my 14-inch laptop, but will fit my 10.1 inch tablet slipped behind the camera caddy. If you need to bring your laptop onto a shoot, I would recommend the Tildy Carryall Camera Backpack instead which fits up to a 16-inch laptop.

Comfort, padding and all-day wear

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This is an intentionally compact backpack suited to a small essentials kit. The size of the straps is matched to this intention. The straps are wide enough for comfort when I was shooting: I tested this out at a number of photoshoots and had no pain points. The padding in the straps (which serves to convert the straps quickly and easily) is good for shoulder-carrying and keeps the bag secure while using your hands to change lenses, swap out batteries, and so on.

I will be using the Archy backpack for a series of full-days weddings over the next few weeks so check back in for an update on how it performs across a whole day of wear and use.

Archy Modular Camera Backpack V2 – Final thoughts

The Archy Modular Camera Backpack V2 is a bag that will find use at photoshoots and beyond. The removable camera insert means this is more than simply a camera case. Take out the padded camera box inside and you have a backpack for taking the kids to the park, a work party or a shopping trip. Travellers in particular will appreciate the flexibility to be able to use the same bag for multiple purposes.

In addition, the caddy is a valuable drawcard in itself: It can turn any of your other handbags into a camera bag. It opens up the rest of your bag wardrobe for use too: Just swap it into another bag.

This bag is ideal for photographers who want to keep their kit tight and efficient. If you’re used to molle webbing half a dozen extra lens cases to the outside of your backpack, then the Archy isn’t going to meet your needs. This is a bag for photographers who want to use an efficient, compact kit. Those who like to carry every option with them, try Tildy instead.

For travel photographs and lifestyle portrait photographers on the go, this bag is going to be a new staple for your photographer kit.

“Sometimes I can see colors around people,” my sister told me a few weeks ago.

“Really?” I asked. “What colors am I?”

“Red and magenta,” she replied.

Although it feels to some like a new-age idea, the concept of auras—that we each have an energy field around us that translates into colors— has been present in many cultures dating back centuries.

Even if you can’t see colors around people, you can probably feel their energy. We all, after all, have our own unique auras. To find out more about mine, and to test my sister’s guess, I visited Color of Our Energy, a photo studio in Seattle near the intersection of Belltown, Lower Queen Anne, and Interbay that practices aura photography. Inside the bright white space, photographer Alex Lee guided me through the quick process.

It starts by entering a dome-like structure, where Lee’s Aura Camera 6000 resides. The technology for this camera was developed in the 1970s and hasn’t changed since. I sit down on a black bench, then place my hands atop two blue boxes with metal sensors corresponding to various points in the fingers and palm. Lee says to think of them as meridian points, like in acupuncture—each point is connected to a different part of the body and determines where the colors pop up in a photo.

“The hand sensors are picking up vibrational frequencies,” he explains. “We have electricity in our bodies, so we have some electrical output, and that translates to a color assignment based on the frequency of chakras. What’s going to be on your picture is whatever signals you’re outputting.” Lee takes just a moment to set up, snaps the double-exposure shot, and then we wait for my Polaroid to develop.

As it takes shape, Lee explains what to look for in the photo. On the right side is the energy that’s coming in. Above the head is the energy you’re currently experiencing. And on the left side of the photo is the energy you’re putting out into the world. A band of color stretching above like an arch corresponds to something you’re holding in high esteem or working toward integrating into your life. Color by the throat is related to vocalizing, and color by the chest is what’s coming from the heart space. These latter two don’t show up as often.

Lee hands me a card with a handful of adjectives for each color, but he says I’ll be getting a link to a more in-depth explanation within 30 minutes of the appointment. In the meantime, we talk about the hue. Although everyone’s photos are open to their own interpretation, he likes to let people know what colors he sees, as some customers may be confused about the difference between indigo and purple, for example.

Lee transitioned from a career in public accounting to photography in 2019. In the time since, he’s discovered people get an aura photo for all kinds of reasons. Some want a cool profile picture or an unusual save-the-date, while others have questions on their mind. “Maybe they’re going through something and they’re looking for some clarity,” he says. “They’ve previously gone to a tarot card reading or a psychic, and now they’re looking for a physical medium for whatever reason.”

As my image develops, there’s a bright red halo that stretches from my right to left side, and above that, a band of magenta. Somehow, my sister was spot on. (“How did you know?” I called and asked. “Because I just saw it,” she said. Helpful.)

According to the page of information I received after the appointment, red is correlated with the root chakra and is about creating tangible change and forward momentum. Good news for the interpretation: I am very much a go-getter, and red would surprise approximately zero people in my life. The magenta band above signifies acting on intuition or creating from inner awareness. It’s typically seen in auras when we’re focused on prioritizing our own needs.

While these colors match up pretty well to how I feel, it could definitely be argued that the descriptions are just all-encompassing enough to apply to everyone, à la newspaper horoscopes.

I’m a logical person, but thanks to my woo-woo sister, I’ve learned a lot about methods of spiritual introspection, like birth charts, tarot cards, and aura photographs. One thing I’ve come to understand is that even if you’re skeptical, these can still be useful tools for self-awareness. What might be more important than whether Jupiter is in your ninth house or you pull the Queen of Cups is how you react to it. If I see new-beginnings red in my photograph and think of a relationship starting, that’s probably what’s foremost in my thoughts. If instead a career goal I’m working toward springs to mind, perhaps that’s where I should focus my attention. The interpretation leads the way.

When I saw that magenta band, it told me I needed to trust my gut on something I was hoping to ignore. I already knew this in my subconscious, but the aura photo brought it to the forefront for me. If I didn’t have anything like that going on in my life at the time, I likely would’ve keyed in on another element of the color—maybe I would’ve homed in on the rebellious, nonconformist notes to take a risk I’d been contemplating.

Lee says he’s taken enough photographs of himself now that he can tell what they’ll look like before they’re even developed. Auras can change over time, and his does to some extent—but he’s in tune enough with his energy now to know if he’ll be, say, orange or yellow on a particular day. 

Can a camera really capture your aura? I don’t know for sure. I think of it kind of like a mood ring. The scientific accuracy is debatable, but it’s a lot of fun. It can be illuminating, if that’s what you want—or just a cool new profile pic.

The Ukrainian-American artist’s pre-war pictures depict the mystical annual festival that welcomes springtime